good governance practices for the protection of human rights

to respond promptly to cases brought before them and cases often last for more
than seven months. Furthermore, the Directorate’s work faces the challenge of
working with inadequately trained personnel in local governments.
B. Empowering the public to resist corruption by publishing
administrative procedures and fees – Lebanon
Issue
In the late 1990s, the Lebanese media widely discussed the impact of corruption
on the country’s economic and political development. According to a newspaper
poll in 1998, corruption was one of the country’s most urgent problems. One
area of economic activity particularly affected by corruption was the booming
property and building sector. Applying for a construction permit involves five
State institutions and several departments, and in many of these the bribing of
officials is commonplace. If bribes are not paid, it can take up to a year to obtain
a permit.
The lack of transparency in the different stages and fees violates the public’s right
to information, including the right to be informed about government activities
and procedures. Corruption in the permit process also violates the right to pursue
economic activity without discrimination by favouring those able and willing to
pay bribes.
Response
In 2002 the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) published the Construction
Permit Booklet because corruption had turned a simple administrative procedure
into a major challenge. State bodies were giving misleading instructions, making
it difficult for citizens to distinguish between official fees and bribes. Citizens
also lacked accurate information about the various procedural stages, the institutions
involved, the responsibilities of each department and institution, and the official
fees for each stage of the process. This lack of information and transparency
disempowered the public vis-à-vis the State and reduced the accountability of
the State. It also reduced citizens’ trust in the State.
The LTA Booklet describes the application procedures for a construction permit
and the documents, fees and average time required for each stage. Its goal is to
inject transparency into the application procedure and to empower citizens by
informing them about their rights vis-à-vis the public administration.
Design
LTA work to improve transparency in construction permit applications and access
to information was part of a response to society’s discontent with the growing
phenomenon of corruption. The extent of the problem with construction permits
was well known. Research by the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies had found
that the corruption involved in the application for a construction permit was
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